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the Architects
thE stAtE of thE Art We asked some of the architects who have shaped our campus to give us their opinions on the state of American architecture today. Is it in transition? Serving humans as much as it should be? Comparing favorably to European architecture? Keeping up with the challenges of environmental sustainability? Influenced by the economy? They responded in very different ways.
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roBErt klimEnt
Kliment Halsband Architects
Designer of the 1997 Ebert addition to Severance Art He responds in collaboration with Frances Halsband, FAIA
concEpts of sustAinABlity ArE chAnGinG We see everything through the lens of sustainability, yet we have no single definition of what sustainability might mean. We are in a moment of questioning the things we thought we already knew. Preservation has always been an important factor in campus design. Evaluating historic fabric, reinterpreting old buildings to meet modern needs, are parallel activities to the scholarship that goes on within these structures. Now we also see the value of maintaining old buildings as environmentally sound: the starting point is what already exists. We evaluate carefully and do not rush to demolition. Some of the most exciting work now is in reinterpreting the past. Community, another key factor in campus design, is very much on our minds as we shape new cities. We thought the Internet would isolate us, but people choose to be alone in the presence of others as a crowded Starbucks illustrates. Iconic places fill up with people who have seen them on the Internet and want to experience
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them in person. We are inventing new forms of space that recognize the importance of collaborative activities, from prekindergarten through postgraduate, commercial, and cultural environments. Landscape has traditionally been equated with Nature, but now we see that human activity has shaped all the landscapes on the planet. Conserving, preserving, doing no harm are very much on our minds. New landscapes today are nostalgic evocations of “wild” places. We need to move beyond nostalgia to new formulations of inhabited landscape. Energy Conservation has already led to breakthroughs in energy efficient systems and use of non fossil fuels, but how can we justify designing an all-glass building when we know how much energy it will require? What will it cost? How can we justify enormous buildings that win LEED platinum, when a much smaller building would have met the need? Energy efficiency will lead us to new forms that embody new ways of thinking.
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BoB schAEffnEr
Payette
Designer of the 1999 expansion of Severance Hall (chemistry)
A nEw modErnism hAs thE potEntiAl to trAnsform livEs I began my career 34 years ago when postmodernism became popular as a reaction to the devolving and alienating quality of modern architecture. Postmodernism fell out of favor relatively quickly with many examples of cartoonish buildings emulating the past but without high-quality materials or craftsmanship. Advances in computer technology opened the door to deconstructionist architecture and flamboyant form making. Again we witnessed bold images with questionable craftsmanship and dubious building performance. Society’s (and the architectural community’s) increased awareness of the environmental impact of buildings has had a steady and positive effect on the direction of architecture over the past 20 years. European architecture was certainly further advanced than the US partly due to higher energy costs. Sustainable architecture remains prevalent because it offers economic benefits along with altruistic value. It appears that a new type of modernism dominates today's architecture, perhaps with more authentic materiality and better